November 1: Johannesburg
The weather has turned rainy with winds blowing the branches of the trees to almost horizontal position. A day in the hotel is not an option, so grabbing an Uber and off to the Apartheid Museum is the goal.
The Apartheid Museum is an emotional walk back in time with the unfortunate reality that some of what existed then still hovers over the world today. South Africa was colonized by first the Dutch and then the English instilling European white man laws and customs on indigenous tribes that had no understanding of the language or customs that were now the way. Forced into shedding their natural ways of life and placed in "ghetto" like environments, the non-whites were striped of any rights and found themselves indentured trying to survive.
Over the years the blacks (those with pure Africa heritage) and the colored (those with a mix of black and white blood) were seen as second class people and walked upon by the whites, who saw themselves as being far superior in intelligence and class. Suppression was the norm.
Nelson Mandela is probably the most famous and influential person who brought about the change from unequal with no voice to one of democracy. The road was long and hard, but under his leadership the country slowly moved away from the segregation that prevailed. He spent 27 years in prison before rising to the role of President of the country. His strongest belief was that negotiations win far faster than anger and violence. He faced many hardships and pain, but pursued his mission. He is one of the few people of the world who one can honestly say is a true person of the people and peace. He preformed miracles where others had failed.